Apple with more than 10 prototypes of the new Iphone

Apple has, of course, started work on the iPhone 8 scheduled for next year and the smartphone is expected to come with significant upgrades to celebrate the ten-year anniversary. One of the big changes is expected to be the shift to OLED screens and the Cupertino company is reportedly considering to introduce a curved display in at least one of the models revealed next year. OLED displays are thinner, lighter, and allow for flexible designs, but they are up to $50 more expensive to produce than traditional LCD displays, according to analysts cited.

If Apple does go through with this display technology change, the iPhone sporting the OLED screen will be more expensive than the others, because OLEDs cost more to make than LCDs and Apple doesn’t want its profit margin to be smaller on this handset compared to the others. It’s likely that the initial supplier for the OLED panels will be Samsung, but Apple reportedly wants LG Display, Japan Display, and Sharp to be ready to step in around 2018.

In addition to competing with Apple’s smartphones, Samsung is one of the only companies in the world that can make large enough quantities of flexible screens for Apple. Experts had previously told CNBC that it was unlikely any other supplier could match Samsung’s expertise on a large scale within the next year. The iPhone 8 is expected to sport an all-glass back, a bezel-less display with no Home Button. It will sport an optical fingerprint scanner and come with advanced wireless charging support.